Over the course of the past two decades, digital mobile telephony has developed into one of the largest and most ubiquitous platforms in history. The current number of global connections is estimated to be around six billion, with around 1.5 billion new devices being added each year. In addition to mobile telephones, smart phones, tablets and other familiar mobile computing and consumer products, mobile telephony systems are increasingly utilised in machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, with new applications being continuously developed. Examples of M2M applications include remote monitoring of equipment, connected smart meters, remote control of home and office appliances, and in-vehicle connectivity for navigation, maintenance and support.
To date, however, the administration of mobile telephony devices, including consumer and M2M applications, has proven a challenge for mobile network operators.
On the one hand, users of consumer computing and communications devices desire freedom to use those devices in a manner which best suits their individual requirements, while developers of M2M applications similarly desire freedom to implement required functionality regardless of the underlying network technology and operational concerns. On the other hand, mobile network operators are concerned to ensure that network resources are used efficiently and effectively, that the applications of individual users and devices are not permitted to adversely impact the performance of the network for other subscribers, and that the consumption of network resources is appropriately monitored, managed and billed.
At present, mobile network operators have limited control over the manner in which end-user devices utilise network resources. Subscribers are understandably concerned about allowing network operators higher levels of access and control over their devices, not least because of concerns regarding security and privacy of personal information and network usage patterns.
In view of the limited control over devices once they are deployed within the mobile telephony network, it is presently common for mobile network operators to implement extensive mobile device approval processes. While these processes are intended to ensure that devices connected to the network do not impact adversely on overall performance, increasingly feature rich devices which permit the installation of additional applications by the end-user following approval, result in the management of device communications becoming increasingly out of the control of the mobile network operators.
For example, it is possible for poorly written applications executing on approved devices nonetheless to consume (perhaps unintentionally) excessive network resources, potentially resulting in denial of service to other users. Additionally, large populations of identical automated M2M devices may generate undesirable scenarios, such as devices attempting to simultaneously reconnect to a mobile network at activation or restoration of services. Furthermore, even if network performance is not adversely impacted, applications which (intentionally or unintentionally) make excessive use of network resources may result in high usage charges being billed to consumers, which may create financial difficulties, and cause adverse publicity for the mobile network operator.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an improved mobile computing and communications platform which enables enhanced monitoring and management of mobile devices by network operators, while at the same time permitting users and applications developers the freedom to operate according to their own requirements, without compromising security and privacy. It would also be desirable to provide a mobile computing and communications platform which enables network resource utilisation to be controlled by network operators, users, and individual applications, to ensure compliance with relevant terms of service, and to impose cost controls or constraints. It would also be desirable to provide a mobile computing and communications platform which provides users and applications developers with a simple and consistent interface for mobile network access regardless of the underlying wireless network technology.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to address one or more of these desired features.